Sewer or storm-drain construction and method of forming the same.



G. H. FROST.

SEWER 0R STORM DRAIN CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME APPLICATION IILEI) JUNE 3, 1912.

1,093,612. Patented Apr. 21, 19m

Z t J a N L UNITED STATES PATENT orrion HENRY FROST, 0F PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

SEWER on Moan-DRAIN- consrrnuo'rron AND nn'rnon or FORMING THE SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent- Patent ed Apr. 21, 1914.

Application filed June 3, 1912. Serial'No. 701,456.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES H. FRos'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Sewer or Storm-Drain Construction and Method of Forming the Same, of which the following isa specification.

One of the objects of the invention is to construct a sewer or drain of circular fo-rm, and entircly of bricks of such formation that it will possess that amount of rigidity which is necessary to enable it to successfully re sist the strains to which sewers and drains are ordinarily subjected when laid many feet under round, and, in addition, it may be laid wit 'a minimum amount of labor,

and at a low cost.

Another objectof the invention is to construct a sewer or drain of the type referred to of bricks of such shape as to permit the bricks to be laid, by hand labor, in the formation of a circular sewer without an inside mold or form. In order to accomplish this object in the manner contemplated by the present invention, I employ bricks of uniform size and shape in cross-section, each having a rib on one side and-a groove on the other side, and the bricks being of greater width than thickness and when laid side by side the rib of one brick will fit within the groove of the next adjacent brick. The particular manner in which these bricks are laid to obtain the benefits and accomplish the objects of the invention will be hereinafter fully explained.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the sewer. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of four bricks, showing one method of construction. Fig. 3 is a perspective of another form of brick.

In carrying myinvention into effect, I form arib on one face of the brick and a groove on the opposite face of the brick, so that the bricks when laid together, will interlock with each other, the rib of one brick interlocking in the groove of the adjoining which is the cross-sectional shape of the buck, thus producing a bar with a rib on one side and a groove on the opposite side. This bar 1s then severed at suitable lengths to form the proper length for the bricks, lllllS being called the end-cut brick.

In laying the sewer, mortar is laid between the bricks in the usual manner, so that when the sewer is constructed, the bucks are firmly tied together by the mortar as well as by the interlocking joints which prevent the brick from falling in, and form anextremely rigid and strong construction.

A sewer constructed in this manner is muchstronger than one joint with ordinary bricks laid in two layers and obviously, the ex- .pense both of labor and material is very much less. In building up the sewer the bricks are laid regularly, one against the workmen gradually building up the arch toward the formation of a complete ring at the beginning of the sewer, and working thence along on a gradual incline, as shown in Fig. 1. As each brick is-laid to form the upper arch the bricks to form the succeeding courses are added to the lower arch, thus giving the mortar time to set in the upper arch. The fact that the bricks are of greater width than thickness, and, moreover, also .have interlocking ribs and grooves, permits them to be laid up to the last two bricks to complete the upper arch, which last two bricks are finally pushed in endwise to complete the first ring. of the sewer. Said first ring may, therefore, be completed by using the shape of brick herein described, and by proceeding in the above-described manner, without necessitating an inside form or support for the bricks of any kind whatsoever. After the first row of bricks extends completely across the top of the arch the upper segmento'f the arch is readily extended forward as the first row will interlock. with and hold the next row, and each succeeding row, as it is added, will be held in like manner until the entire arch is commay be used, and for a smaller sewer with thiner walls, smaller bricks may be used.

In Fig. 3 is shown a slightly modified form of brick in which a plurality ofribs 2 are shown on one side of the brick and a plurality of grooves 3 are shown on the opposite side. In this form,

-as shown in the preceding forms, the

ribs on one side of each brick fit into the grooves on the adjoining side of the next brick. In either form the radial dimension of the brick is greater than its circumferential dimension. This is highly important because it provides an inherently stable structure which is non-collapsible It is obvious that the structure herein disclosed may be employed for storm drains as well as for sewers.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. An arched conduit of circular form composed entirely of bricks all of which are of the same dimensions in cross-section, and each brick having a groove on one side and a rib on the other, the rib in each brick fitting in the groove of the adjoining'brick to prevent the bricks from falling apart, the width of each brick being substantially greater than its thickness, and the bricks in each transverse row of the conduit arranged to break joint with the bricks in the succeedlng row, said bricks being first laid to form a portion of the lower half of the arch, and thenlaid to close the upper part of the arch for one row by laying the bricks on a gradual incline longitudinally of the arch, and as soon as one row of bricks is carried across the first arch the upper segment is extended forwardly, and the operation continued.

2. The method of forming a conduit of circular form in cross-section entirely/ of bricks of identical size in cross-section and having each a rib on one side and a groove on its other side and its width considerably greater than its thickness, consisting in first building the lower half of the arch for aconsiderable length by laying said bricks in mortar side by side in transverse rows in which the bricks in each row break joint with those in each succeeding row, then closing the upper part of the arch by laying the bricks on a gradual incline longitudinally of the arch with one brick in advance of the other so that the lower and forward bricks interlock with and support the adjacent and upper bricks, and as soon as one row of bricks is carried completely across the top of the arch extending the upper segment of the arch forwardly, and continuing the operation throughout the conduit.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California this 28 day of May 1912.

CHARLES HENRY FROST.

In presence of Gr. T. HACKLEY, MARY E. BLAsnnL. 

